Finally
by RantingFangirl
Summary: Soulmate [Noun] 1 : a person who is perfectly suited to another in temperament 2 : a person who strongly resembles another in attitudes or beliefs ideological soul mates Definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
1. I

After finishing this first chapter, I ask that you read the author's note at the bottom. It will provide a bit more info about this AU.

Finally: Part One of Three

* * *

Soulmate [Noun]  
1  
: a person who is perfectly suited to another in temperament

2  
: a person who strongly resembles another in attitudes or beliefs ideological soul mates  
Definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

* * *

Whenever Mathias Kohler had heard the stories about soul mates, they were happy and always ended with the two being madly in love, without a care in the world. So, of course, that's what he had expected of his own meeting.

He would see them, in a library, and, being unable to look away, would walk up a grab whatever they were reading, forcing them to say the very words inked on his left forearm since birth, "Give me back my book." Then his soul mate would realize that it was him, the one they had been waiting for their entire life. They would fall in love and be together forever, addicted to each other's presence.

Mathias was sure that it was going to go the exact way he thought it would and refused to listen to his mother and father as they tried to convince him otherwise.

Therefore, every time he saw someone new reading, he would run up and grab it. His efforts proved fruitless, only resulting in angry parents and his mother's apologies. But Mathias would never give up, he knew that they would meet. he was sure of it.

When his teacher let he and his class out for recess, Mathias ran towards the field with excitement. He and his friends, Alfred and Gilbert, had been planning on finishing their soccer game from the day before. But when Mathias glanced towards the big oak tree, he stopped.

There, sitting against the trunk, was a boy reading one of the thickest books he had ever seen. Mathias had never seen him before, and there was gossip about a new kid circling around, so this had to be him.

Mathias knew that he shouldn't bother him, that he already had two strikes to time out, and that it wasn't worth a third, but he just couldn't help it. Something inside told him that he wanted to be friends with this boy, spend forever with him, and Mathias didn't know why.

In the method that he had been using, Mathias sneaked up to the boy, stopping only when he snatched the book from the boy's hands.

"Wha cha readin'?" he said, flipping through the pages. It was a heavy book and Mathias wondered how such a thin boy could carry such a book around. As he scanned the pages, there were some names he recognized, his parents talking about them, but he couldn't remember what it was.

The boy looked up at him, his eyes lighting up in either recognition or surprise, then giving way to annoyance.  
"Give me back my book."

Mathias thought he was forgetting something, but, with his stomach flipping at the idea of angering the boy, he immediately gave the book back, carefully keeping the page in place. After reclaiming the stolen item, the boy stood, and, with a huff, stalked away.

It wasn't until later, when Mathias walked inside the classroom, sweating, that he realized that they had both been blushing like the younger kids.

* * *

After that day, Mathias had vowed to learn the boy's name and become his friend, not telling Alfred and Gilbert about him until he did so. He looked everywhere for the boy with the book, during recess and lunch, even reaching the point of asking those on the playground if they'd seen him. No one had.

Soon, Mathias spent the entirety of his time searching for the boy, growing desperate, his parents exchanging looks while he talked about the boy. if only he could see him again, or at least know his name.

It wasn't until the next week, during Social Studies, that something had happened. Mrs. Elizabeta was standing, head out of the door, speaking unheard words to someone in the hallway, before ushering another into the classroom. It was the boy, his book tucked under his arm.

"Okay, my pumpkins!" she clapped her hands together and smiled. "Today we have a new friend joining us!" she looked at the boy, an overly happy expression on her face. "Why don't you introduce yourself, sweetheart?"

The entire class turned towards the boy, some bored and others expecting. Mathias had an expression of downright ecstasy. Finally, after a week of just calling him "the boy", would he finally know his name!

In response to the stares he had been receiving, the boy started to study his new classmates, When his eyes landed on Mathias, he lingered for just a fraction of a second longer than he did the others, before jerking his head to the side, the look going unnoticed by everyone but Mathias.

The boy whispered something, Mrs. Elizabeta, along with the class, leaning in in an attempt to hear him better.

When she couldn't, she said, "Could you repeat that again, sweetie? There's no need to be shy, we're all family!"

The boy slightly turned his head towards the class and muttered, loud enough for those only in the back to have troubles hearing, "Lukas Bondevik"

Mathias felt like he could burst out of his chair with joy. Lukas! His name was Lukas! He didn't know why, but it was as if his worries for the entire week - no, the entire year had either been answered or disappeared.

Mrs. Elizabeta scanned the room, searching for a seat. When she spotted one, she turned back to Lukas.

"Why don't you sit next to Mathias? There, right next to him!"

Mathias jerked his head up, and when realizing his teacher's words, suppressed a whoop of glee, When Lukas scrambled to the empty desk next to him, most likely eager to get away from the looks of the class, Mathias couldn't help but want to hug him. The glances Lukas was sending him didn't help the situation, either.

Lukas. Lukas. Lukas.

* * *

Author's Note:  
First, I would like to apologize for the length of the chapter. Both of the others are going to be this length, if not shorter. I'm going to be changing POVs, and I didn't want to do it mid-chapter, so this is kind of an organizing thing.  
As for this AU, you may have noticed that Mathias had grown a bit of an obsession with Lukas. This is not a mistake, but intentional. In this universe, once a someone gets a whiff of their "other half", no matter the age, they instantly become obsessed. This will be explained in the next chapter. I just want you guys to know that I'm not making a fourth grader become a stalker just for the hell of it.  
On another note, if you find Hungary a bit OOC, I must say that one, I'm not that well-versed with her, and I just used her because it seems that she would be a good fourth grade teacher, and two, the way she talked is literally the way every female teacher at my elementary school talked.


	2. Adore

Oh, look at me! Updating at my one chapter per week deadline!

Finally: Part Two of Three

* * *

1\. Unrequited Love (Noun)  
Love that is not reciprocated, even though reciprocation is desired.  
Definition from Definitions net

* * *

Lukas Bondevik did not want to meet his soulmate. Even at his young age, he knew what it meant. He would be bound to them, never to explore, never to get out and actually meet people. If he were to argue with them, or not like them, it would be his fault, he would be the outlier. Because if you didn't get along with your soulmate, it was obvious that you were the problem.

So when he saw that those words on his arm had partially faded and that he couldn't kick that spiky-haired boy out of his mind, he knew. he knew who the boy was, and who he'll always be, and that Lukas might as well kiss his life away in the wind. Because, if it didn't work for his parents, why would it work for him?

Lukas opened the door to his house, towering stacks of moving boxes still yet to be unboxed and probably won't be for awhile. he dropped his backpack on the couch and, being released of the weight, hurried into the kitchen. Homework could be done later.

His mother was standing at the sink, pushing the handle down as the faucet dripped its last drops. She wiped her hands on a wash towel before throwing it down on the counter, looking at him with a smile.

"Lukas, how was your first day? Was it fun? The school was so nice when we toured it!"

Lukas didn't know how to answer her, so he just let out an "it was great, mama" and went back to tapping his fingers on the tabletop. He pulled his sleeves up to his elbows, not thinking about it, only about that one Mathias Kohler that he was to be sitting next to his entire year- no, his entire life.

Oh, and he knew, that if it were to get out to the school that he and Mathias were soulmates, they would be put in the exact same classes, every year, up until the end of high school. That they would always be together, and if one moved to another town or city, the other would be pressured to do so as well. He heard from one of his old classmates, as it had happened to his cousin.

A gasp was what had him jerking his head up. His mother was looking at his arm in horror, eyes filling with tears. He almost wanted to hit himself as he realized that his faded tattoo was out in the open. He quickly shoved his sleeve down, covering it.

The second two soulmates spoke to each other, the tattoo would fade slightly. It wasn't until they would touch, even a brush, that the3 words would turn into the color of each other's eyes. Lukas had read somewhere in one of his culture books that, in the past, entire ceremonies would be held for such an occasion. A waste of time and resources, he thought.

His mother tried to calm herself, wiping her eyes on her sleeve, not even caring about the smudging of her makeup. She tried to smile at him, though it came out more of a grimace.

 _She must be thinking of papa_ , he thought.

When she finally spoke, Lukas expected a lecture or maybe some advice on how not to be like she and her his father, but all she did was quietly say, "Is it a classmate?"

He nodded his head. As if it could be anyone else.

"Do you like them?"

"No."

She laughed, head tilting forward slightly, wiping her eyes again. There was a black spot on her sweater. He wondered if she would be able to get it out.  
Laughing again, she grabbed her purse, taking out her keys and phone. "I have to go pick up Emil. It'll probably take around seven minutes or so, then we'll all go to the store. We should invite your soulmate to dinner!"

before Lukas could start to protest, most likely something that would cause a fruitless argument, his mother was out of the door.

* * *

It was clear that Mathias was not just excited, but downright ecstatic. As the teacher, who's name he had already forgotten, droned on in her cheerful voice about fractions, Lukas watched the spiky-haired boy with narrowed eyes.

His feet were tapping the floor, so much that Lukas was surprised he hadn't been scolded already. He was waving his pencil around between two fingers, flinging it three desks to the left just a couple minutes before. he looked towards Lukas, offering an unwanted smile. All-in-all, it was annoying. And distracting.  
Lukas had lost to his mother, and, to his chagrin, would be having dinner with Mathias and his family. They would walk home together and "play", as his mother put it until the idiot's parents showed up. And while he definitely didn't want it, and would rather take playing with his brother and his annoying, weird Chinese friend to this, he couldn't help but feel a bit eager. Not that he would ever admit it, however.

When the announcer had given the news and the walker bell had rung, Lukas bolted out of the classroom, Mathias keeping infuriatingly close. The fidgeting had only gotten worse as the day had drawn to a close, and he was about done with it. he had almost gotten himself written-up when he yelled at Mathias for playing with his hair.

It didn't help how that he was now playing Twenty Questions. Mathias was relentless.

"What are we having for dinner?"

"I don't know."

"You just moved in, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you like your new house?"

"I guess."

"Does your brother like it?"

"Dunno. Ask him."

"How much older are you than your brother?"

"... Five years."

The blue-sided house was paradise when he arrived until he remembered that Mathias was supposed to come in with him. He deflated like an unplugged bouncy house.

When he opened the door, Mathias practically ran in. He looked around in wonder, though Lukas didn't know why. He turned in a complete circle until he stopped to look at Lukas and smiled.

This was going to be a long evening.

* * *

Lukas fell on his bed with a sigh. He had been right. It had been a long night, parents meeting each other in person with what he was sure were fake smiles. It had been decided to inform the school of he and Mathias', "relationship".

His thoughts drifted over to the Loveless, those born without soulmate tattoos. Abandoned, they were left by society to pair amongst themselves, their only crime being born the way they were.

Sometimes, only sometimes, Lukas wished that his arms were bare instead of inked.

* * *

Yeah, so Lukas doesn't really want a soulmate that much. I'm really happy that I stayed on the deadline, so, assuming that I continue my streak, expect the last chapter next Friday. I'm sorry that these chapters are so short, I really wish I could write longer stuff. But I'm working on it!


	3. You

Finally, this thing is done! I wish I could've written this chapter a bit longer, though.

* * *

Finally Part 3 out of 3

* * *

Finally  
1 After a long time, typically when there has been difficulty or delay.  
Definition from the Oxford Dictionary

* * *

Years passed. They were in the same classes together, same field trips. And throughout those years, through the broken bones, mediocre report cards, and stressful assessments, Mathias found himself loving Lukas more and more by each day leaving.

And while teachers and understandings changed, the one thing that stayed consistent was Lukas' treatment of him. A friend; nothing more, nothing less. Lukas still laughed at his stupid jokes, but he would do it in the same manner that he did his mother's or brother's, the exact same way he did with the two boys he would meet up with after school sometimes.

Mathias couldn't help but want more. He wanted to talk to Lukas like his own parents did with each other, or like Berwald and Tino did. Lukas knew what he wanted, too. He had told him tens, if not hundreds of times in the years they had been together.

But still, the boy would snort, as if the two being soulmates was funny, and go back to reading the same book since the day they had met.

Mathias ran his hands through the growing green grass as he stretched. Spring was in full fling, and while he was sad to see winter wave goodbye, he knew summer was peeking just around the corner.

He yawned, and turned his head to the boy sitting beside him. He stared at him, studying him.

Mathias had always wondered what Lukas' skin felt like. Whether it was cold or warm, rough or soft. Lukas hadn't let him touch him yet, probably too scared to see his tattoo turn to the blue of Mathias' eyes. As a result, the ink was never colored, just black, the only changed being it stretched in time with his arm.  
He raised himself up, still looking at him. He had been thinking about this for awhile. "Lukas", he tread slowly.

Lukas snapped his head up, surprised by the death of the silence. "Yes?"

"Do you think I'll ever have the chance of being loved by you," a narrow of dark blue eyes, " or should I just cut my losses and stop trying?"

"What do you mean?"

"All I'm saying is," Mathias flopped back down, staring at the sky as if he was searching for some hidden answer. "We met in the fourth grade. For god's sake, Lukas, we're seniors in high school and I haven't even been allowed to put a finger on you. Do you not want this. Do you not want me?"

Instead of saying anything, Lukas stayed there, frozen in place, before bringing his head down back to his book. Mathias let out a sigh. Why was he still even trying? He knew the answer, it was because he simply adored him, and always will, but with that, he still had to ask himself. Why did he love someone who did not love him back?

The thump of a book being shut sounded next to him. and he watched as Lukas carefully set it down. The spine was cracked, the pages covered and marred with the tears and stains of fingerprints. It was simply falling apart, and when Mathias had asked why he would keep such a torn up thing, all Lukas would do was shake his head.

Lukas had laid down next to him, keeping a distance so they wouldn't touch. They stared at each other, Lukas blinking slowly, Mathias glaring back with determination.

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours. it wasn't until Lukas averted his eyes, biting his lower lip that it all stopped.

He let out a huff, as if he had decided something, and scooted closer. And closer, all the way to the point where if one of them jerked even a tiny bit, they would come into contact. Their breaths mingled, and Mathias wanted so badly to close the distance.

With shaking arms, Lukas did that exact thing. He wrapped his arms around him, pulling and holding Mathias close. Mathias could feel his hot breath against his neck.

And when Mathias got home, he looked down, only to see the faded ink on his arm finally full again, and in brilliant dark blue scrawl.

* * *

Only at 748 words... *screams* I really wanted the last chapter to be in the thousands, but oh well. I'm so very happy that this is done, and, just a heads up, I have a SpaMano on the way! Just a request and you don't have to do so, but if you find a change in writing style in any of these chapters, please tell me. I'll take it with a pile of salt. Have a nice morning, day, and evening!


End file.
